BRIEF DISCUSSION ON CANE MUD PRESS

Mud press, or pressmud, is a soft, spongy, amorphous and dark brown material
produced from the filtration of the cane juice. About 3.6% - 4.0% of sugarcane crushed end up
as mud press. However, due to the trend of mechanization in cane harvesting, this can go up to
5.0 – 6.0%. It generally contains 60% - 85% moisture. The chemical composition depends on
many factors including cane variety, soil condition, nutrients applied in the field, process of
clarification adopted, and other environmental factors.

Table 1. General Composition of Mud Press

Composition Amount Present
Sugar 5 – 15 %
Fiber 15 – 30%
Crude Wax 5 – 14%
Crude Protein 5 – 15%
SiO 4 – 10%
CaO 1 – 4%
MgO 0.5 – 1.5%
PO 1 – 3%
Total Ash 9 – 10%
Cellulose 11.4 %
Hemicellulose 10 %
Lignin 9.3 %

Table 2. Typical Nutrient Contents of Mud Press

Nutrients Amount Present
Nitrogen 1.9 %
Phosphorous 1.8 %
Potassium 0.9 %
Calcium 4.3 %
Magnesium 0.7 %
Sulfur 3.2 %
Sodium 0.1 %
Manganese 0.034 %
Zinc 0.008 %
Copper 0.053 %

Table 3. Characteristics of Mud Press

Parameters %
Total Solids (TS) 47.850 ± 0.002
Volatile matter (VS) 34.780 ± 0.013
Organic Matter 28.150 ± 0.326
TOC 16.330 ± 0.783
C/N ratio 9.682
 Mud press is a good source of fertilizer. The usefulness of mud press as fertilizer is
based on its nutrient content. The advantages of using mud press for soil application is its low
cost, slower release of nutrients, presence of trace element, high mulching properties and water
holding capacity. However, the bulky nature and wax content of mud press can cause problems.
If applied to the soil as manure, the wax present might deteriorate the physical properties such
as permeability, aeration, soil structure and composition, and deterioration may worsen with
passage of time. The high wax content in sugarcane mud press remains not only unutilized but
aslo reduces the fertility of the soil due to its accumulation. If it is directly applied to the soil from
the factory, it has a tendency to burn the plants as a result of rapid decomposition of the new
sugarcane mud press which liberates heat and ammonia in high concentrations.

It can also be a good source of biogas as it contains 5 – 15% of sugar. It consists of

hydrocarbon, sugar, and other components, and has a good proportion of carbon to nitrogen
ratio (C/N) of approximately 10–20; these are considered as significantly attractive features for
generation of bioenergy by anaerobic fermentation. It can be used for generation of energy as it
contains higher percentage of combustibles.

Compost produced from biological wastes does not contain any chemicals unfavorable
to living soil. Organic fertilizers derived from sugar mud press are also one of them and yield
better production of crops. Mud press is a suitable fertilizing agent that is rich in micro and
macro nutrients along with organic carbon. It is eco-friendly and protects plants from various soil
borne diseases. By using this filter cake, the affected lands due to continuous and excessive
application of chemical pesticides are brought under control. The manufacturing of mud press is
achieved by drying the residues to prevent any fungal or bacterial infection.

Mud press includes nitrogen, cellulose, lignin, protein and sugar which makes it suitable
for bio-fuel and fertilizer production. The compounds present are given in the tables above. Mud
press can be used with other materials in order to improve its yield. The deficiency of copper
and nickel in plants result in retardation of plant growth. Adding mud press to the soil as fertilizer
is one way to balance this defect. Processes used to improve its fertilizer value include
composting, treatment with microorganisms and mixing with distillery effluents.

According to the Philippine National Standard for Organic Soil Amendments (PNS/BAFS
40:2016), an organic fertilizer is defined as any product in solid or any product in solid or liquid
form, of plant (except byproducts from petroleum industries) or animal origin, that has
undergone substantial decomposition that can supply available nutrients to plants with a total
Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P2O5), and Potassium (K2O) of five to ten percent (5-10%). This may
be enriched by microbial inoculants and naturally occurring minerals but no chemical or
inorganic fertilizer material has been used in the production or added to the finished product to
affect the nutrient content. Also, biodegradable processing by-products, plant or animal origin,
e.g. by-products of food, feed, oilseed, brewery, distillery, or textile processing are listed as
permitted raw materials for the production of organic soil amendments. Thus, mud press from
sugarcane is an acceptable material to use as fertilizer.

Only treated mud press should be used because fresh mud press may enhance growth
rate of certain pathogenic fungi which cause several diseases in humans. Several isolates of
fungi are allowed to multiply in fresh mud press and that encourages fungal growth causing
health defects to humans. Treated mud press fertilizer limits the growth of such harmful
microbes permitting the multiplication of beneficial fungi.
References

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[IJIERT], 2(4APR.-2015), 1-3. Retrieved June 21, 2019, from
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(2014). Effect of Sugarcane Pressmud Biocompost on Dry Matter Yield and Nutrient
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